A CT scan as well as an ultrasound of the abdomen, a chest x-ray, 6 EKG's, a stress test, cardiac enzymes, liver and pancreas enzymes, and full bloods 2 times.

I have on and off chest pain in my middle chest for a few seconds at a time a few times a day. Pretty severe pain on my left chest--on the side where the ribs and outer pecs are. Pain on the lower end of my middle sternum under my left pec. Slight upper back pain.

The pain in my left chest (on the outer pec/side) is exacerbated by exercise (especially the cardio bike--I was hunched forward).

I am 23 y/o and my doctor/ER doctors do not believe it is heart related. They simply do not know what is causing the pain. My troponin levels were 0.018 (which is in the range of 0.0-0.060) and my stress test/EKG's were good, however, the chest pain always brings me back to the worst case scenario--heart.

I used to be really active until my father died of a heart attack a month and half ago and now I am scared to be because I don't want to have the same fate.

My ribs are tender to touch only SOMETIMES and when I get pain, however, I can NOT reproduce the pain by touching my ribs EVERY time. Can it still be costochondritis? I simply can't bother them at the hospital anymore because the Canadian system does not allow you to do whatever tests you want--they do not want to give me more heart testing mostly due to my age and I can not pay for such tests. Is a stress test and 6 EKG's really enough? Thanks in advance.

Costo is something I have sufered with for a number of years. I have steroid injections into my chest for mine, but I have lots of other medical problems going on too and I personally find this is the best course of treatment for me.

Thing is I can well understand your anxiety but if the tests to date have proved negative for heart problems, then try to accept that. You say your dad died from having a heart attack, this is obviously going to make you so much aware of every pain and so on which is only normal in your situation. I would honestly take what the doctors and facts are given as being the truth.

I myself had a major heart atack, and 2 smaller ones and ended up having a triple bypass. I can tell you the pain from heart attacks/problems is nothing at all like rib pain. I am saying this to reassure you if I can.

You will get so much information about it on the Lupus forum on the board. Go to the top of the page, hit search and type the word in. You willl get varied posts there about it. This will give you lots and lots of facts and answer a lot of questions you may have. It is discussed very fully by myself and other memebrs who have it/suspect they have it. Having this to look into will then give you answers to a lot of your questions, and then in turn you can go armed with the data and speak to you doctor.

It is best done this way to find out from discussions between other members, as nobody on here can obviously diagnose you. Reading up on it in this way, and not looking on the internet will give you lots of 'first hand' information as I said.

I do help this helps you. Take care.

goldenwings

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I am not a medical doctor, I only speak from my own experience of the illnesses I discuss here.

Last edited by goldenwings; 02-05-2008 at 02:57 AM.
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